Audiobook Review: Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom by James Danckert and John D. Eastwood

Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Non-Fiction – Psychology
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: June 9, 2020

Rating: 4/5 Stars

This was a really interesting book, but it’s one of those ones I’m glad I listened to rather than read. There’s a lot of information here, but Liam Gerrard does an excellent job of conveying it in a way that prevents the listener growing, well, bored.

The book touches on various aspects surrounding boredom, delving into studies and observations to highlight why we shouldn’t just ignore boredom, and exploring what, exactly, causes this unpleasant feeling. Boredom is something we all experience, and the psychologists look at the science and philosophy behind it to try and expand on what boredom is actually trying to tell us. That we’re not engaged, whether it’s because what we’re trying to do is too simple or too complicated.

They make some interesting arguments in an informative, entertaining way, not allowing the book to overload the reader with information, and keeping it relatively light. They put forward the case for why we should maybe embrace boredom, and expand a little on how we can utilize it instead.

If you’re interested in psychology and are looking for something to expand your own understanding, I do recommend this book, and if you’re an audiobook kind of reader, the narrator here does a really good job.